VLSI & ASIC RTL-to-GDSII Design
Architecture, Verilog/SystemVerilog RTL design, synthesis, static timing analysis, and physical design under the MeitY Chips to Startup (C2S) programme.
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Internship
Research internships at the I²CS Research Lab - Major areas of research includes Hardware Accelerators for AI/ML, Edge Computing, Hardware Security, Quantum Chips, Energy harvesting, Analog IC design, RF Circuits, FPGA based design etc.
I²CS Winter Internship 2026
Official registration links, brochures, joining report formats, and NOC templates etc. for the I²CS internship at IIIT Kottayam, Kerala.
Hands-On Semiconductor Training
VLSI, Chip Design & FPGA Internship Tracks at IIIT Kottayam
Interns at the Intelligent Integrated Circuits and Systems (I²CS) Lab work alongside faculty, postdoctoral collaborators, and Ph.D. scholars on live funded research projects in Kerala's premier IIIT ecosystem.
FPGA Prototyping & AI Hardware Accelerators
Domain-specific deep-learning, CNN/YOLO computer-vision, and signal-processing accelerators deployed on Microchip PolarFire SoC and AMD-Xilinx Zynq / PYNQ-Z2.
Approximate Computing & Low-Power Arithmetic
Design of approximate multipliers, adders, compressors, and precision-scalable datapaths for ultra-low-power biomedical and edge-AI workloads.
Hardware Security, Cryptography & RISC-V SoCs
Post-quantum and lightweight cryptographic accelerators, PUF/TRNG primitives, IP protection, and custom processor extensions on C-DAC VEGA and RISC-V platforms.
MeitY Chips to Startup (C2S) EDA Tools & Hardware Platforms
Through the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Chips to Startup (C2S) initiative and IGSTC/DST/KSCSTE grants, interns train on commercial semiconductor design suites and FPGA boards:
- • ASIC & Custom IC EDA: Synopsys, Cadence, and Siemens EDA RTL-to-GDSII flows
- • FPGA & SoC Boards: Microchip PolarFire SoC, AMD-Xilinx Zynq & PYNQ-Z2
- • Indigenous Processors: C-DAC VEGA RISC-V ecosystem & hardware accelerators
- • System Modeling: MATLAB / Simulink HDL Coder & quantized Edge-AI deployment
Student Outcomes, Publications & Global Placements
Our undergraduate and postgraduate researchers consistently convert lab projects into peer-reviewed papers and global career milestones:
- • Co-authored papers in 100+ IEEE & Springer venues (VLSID, VDAT, ISVLSI, TENCON, TCAS)
- • National podium finishes in ITC India, DVCon India & VLSID Design Contests
- • Higher-study admissions & placements (Qualcomm, NVIDIA, C-DAC, TU Delft, RWTH Aachen, UC Berkeley, ETH/EPFL, UT Dallas)
- • Contributions to Indian patents & 8+ funded R&D projects (MeitY C2S, IGSTC, DST NM-ICPS, KSCSTE)
Prospective Intern Guide
Frequently Asked Questions — VLSI Internships
Who is eligible to apply for VLSI and FPGA internships at I²CS Research Lab, IIIT Kottayam?+
Undergraduate (B.Tech/B.E. in ECE, EEE, CSE, or allied branches) and postgraduate (M.Tech/M.S./Ph.D.) students across Kerala and India with a strong foundation in digital logic design, Verilog/SystemVerilog, computer architecture, analog/RF IC design, or embedded systems are eligible to apply.
What EDA tools and FPGA hardware boards do interns work with at IIIT Kottayam?+
Interns gain hands-on experience with industry-grade EDA tools provisioned under the MeitY Chips to Startup (C2S) programme (Synopsys, Cadence, Siemens EDA) alongside FPGA and SoC development platforms including Microchip PolarFire SoC, AMD-Xilinx Zynq / PYNQ-Z2, and indigenous C-DAC VEGA RISC-V processors.
Are both summer and semester-long research internships available?+
Yes. I²CS offers intensive 6–8 week summer and winter research internships as well as 4–6 month semester / B.Tech and M.Tech thesis internships for students aiming for IEEE/Springer publications, tape-out readiness, or national hardware contest participation.
Can internship projects lead to IEEE publications or national VLSI competition entries?+
Yes. Interns are mentored by Dr. Kala S, Dr. Minu A Pillai, Dr. Lakshmi N S, and senior Ph.D. scholars, and frequently co-author papers in IEEE/Springer conferences (VLSID, VDAT, ISVLSI, TENCON, INDICON) and compete in national challenges such as the ITC India Hackathon, DVCon India Design Contest, and Microchip VLSI Design Contest.
Where is the I²CS Research Lab located and are on-campus internships offered?+
The Intelligent Integrated Circuits and Systems (I²CS) Research Lab is located at the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Kottayam campus in Valavoor, Pala, Kottayam District, Kerala – 686635. Both on-campus and hybrid research internship modes are supported depending on project requirements.
How do I apply and what documents are required?+
When the application call is open, register through the official Google Form link on this page and download the internship brochure, consent form, and NOC/bonafide templates listed above. Prospective long-term research interns and Ph.D. applicants may also write to i2cs@iiitkottayam.ac.in or kala@iiitkottayam.ac.in with their CV and area of interest.